Synthesis and Characterization of New Nanohybrids Based on Carboxymethyl Scleroglucan and Silica Nanoparticles

Abstract

In this study, two new nanohybrids (NH-A and NH-B) were synthesized through carbodiimide-assisted coupling. The reaction was performed between carboxymethyl-scleroglucans (CMS-A and CMS-B) with different degrees of substitution and commercial amino-functionalized silica nanoparticles using 4-(dimethylamino)-pyridine (DMAP) and N,N′-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCC) as catalysts. The morphology and properties of the nanohybrids were investigated by using transmission (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), electron-dispersive scanning (EDS), attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FT-IR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and dynamic light scattering (DLS). The nanohybrids exhibited differences in structure due to the incorporation of polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) materials. The results reveal that hybrid nanomaterials exhibit similar thermal properties but differ in morphology, chemical structure, and crystallinity properties. Finally, a viscosity study was performed on the newly obtained nanohybrid materials; viscosities of nanohybrids increased significantly in comparison to the carboxymethyl-scleroglucans, with a viscosity difference of 7.2% for NH-A and up to 32.6% for NH-B.

Expansion of Nanotechnology-Based Chemically Enhanced Oil Recovery Field Applications in Colombia: An Approach from Laboratory Experiments, Effluent Follow-Up, and Machine Learning

“…Regarding CEOR applications, nanomaterials have been developed mainly to optimize the performance of polymers and surfactants, among others. In the case of polymer systems, special attention has been paid to the inhibition of polymer degradation and improvement of the solution stability in polymers of different chemical nature with several types of nanoparticles. − However, polymer application under real conditions is limited due to the robust facilities that are required for polymer preparation in the field, which makes the development and expansion of field trials using nanoparticle-enhanced polymer solutions. On the other hand, when nanoparticles are added to surfactant-based solutions, there is no need of robust surface facilities for the injection , and several mechanisms can be impacted, including (i) reduction of the surfactant adsorption on the rock, (ii) reduction of interfacial tension, (iii) less amount of chemistry used in CEOR processes, and (iv) promotion of water-wettable surfaces. − In this sense, several studies have been developed under laboratory and field conditions to enhance surfactant-based processes with nanotechnology, including raw nanoparticles, ,− composite/functionalized/grafted nanomaterials, ,− Janus nanoparticles, − bionanofluids, − solvent-based nanofluids, , among others.…”